What? Gambling machines here?
<=== New photo of New Braunfels at night.
3 arrested in gambling bust
- The Herald-Zeitung
Three local convenience store owners were arrested Wednesday for allegedly operating gambling equipment in their stores.
After a two-month investigation, New Braunfels Police Department officers confiscated 18 eight-liner gambling machines from three stores around the city, NBPD spokesman Lt. Michael Penshorn said.
“We had several complaints from citizens near the end of February and the beginning of April,” Penshorn said. “That’s when the investigation started.”
Around that time, he said, undercover officers started visiting Park Place Foods at 1289 W. San Antonio St., Rivercrest Food Mart at 995 Loop 337 and Pilot Travel Center at 4142 Loop 337.
Mohammed Abu-Swireh, 36, and Muin Soloman, 37, were both arrested from Rivercrest Food Mart. Rubin Friesenhahn, 57, was arrested from Park Place Foods.
Penshorn said there were no arrests made at Pilot Travel Center.
“We never dealt with the same person at Pilot,” he said. “There were so many employees there that we never saw the same one twice.”
He said the case is still being investigated.
“We’re checking on the serial numbers from each machine,” he said. “What happens to them depends on what happens in court.”
The machines could be auctioned or destroyed, Penshorn said.
Employees at Park Place and Pilot declined to comment.
Rivercrest Food Mart employees did not want to comment other than saying they want their boss back.
Abu-Swireh and Soloman remain in Comal County Jail each with bonds of $9,000. Jail officials said Friesenhahn bonded out Wednesday afternoon.
All three were charged with gambling promotions, keeping a gambling place and possession of a gambling device, equipment of paraphernalia. All offenses are class A misdemeanors and, if found guilty, are punishable by up to one year in county jail and a fine up to $4,000.
This is the first time the New Braunfels Police Department has busted stores in the city for illegal gambling, Penshorn said.
The Comal County Sheriff’s Office busted three illegal gambling rings on April 3 and confiscated more than 100 eight-liner gambling machines around the county. Sheriff’s deputies also issued 60 citations to people using the machines.
Those warrants were served after busts at the Crazy Coconut at 12422 Farm-to-Market 306, The Lucky Dog at 18059 FM 306 and at 7200 U.S. Highway 281.
